Jenn McGinn

Jenn McGinn
McGinn in 2008
Member of the British Columbia Legislative Assembly for Vancouver-Fairview
In office October 29, 2008 – May 12, 2009
Preceded by	Gregor Robertson
Succeeded by	Margaret MacDiarmid
Personal details
Born	Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
Party	British Columbia New Democratic Party
Other political affiliations	Coalition of Progressive Electors
Occupation	account manager

Jenn McGinn is a Canadian politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia (MLA) from 2008 to 2009, representing the electoral district of Vancouver-Fairview as part of the British Columbia New Democratic Party (NDP) caucus. She is the first openly lesbian MLA in British Columbia.

Biography

Born in Prince Edward Island, McGinn first became involved in politics as a high school student in Charlottetown in the late 1980s. She joined the NDP at 17 years old, then became president of the P.E.I. Young New Democrats. She moved to Vancouver in 1993, and worked in various roles such as vice-president of the Little Mountain Neighbourhood House, director of development for the Surrey Women's Centre, and executive director of the South Granville Seniors Centre.

She ran as a Coalition of Progressive Electors candidate for Vancouver Park Board commissioner in the 2005 municipal election, but was unsuccessful. She subsequently worked as an account manager with the community business banking team of Vancity Savings Credit Union prior to entering provincial politics.

After Vancouver-Fairview MLA Gregor Robertson resigned his seat to run in the 2008 mayoral election, McGinn was nominated as the NDP candidate for the ensuing by-election; her candidacy was endorsed in a Georgia Straight editorial. She was elected to the legislature by defeating BC Liberal candidate Margaret MacDiarmid in the October 2008 by-election, and served as opposition critic for Community Living BC in the 38th Parliament.

After the 2008 by-election the boundaries of Vancouver-Fairview were redrawn by Elections BC as part of a larger province-wide redistribution. McGinn once again faced MacDiarmid in the 2009 provincial election, but this time lost to the latter; she returned to Vancity following her electoral defeat.

Electoral record

By-election, October 29, 2008: Vancouver-Fairview

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	NDP	Jenn McGinn	5,487	46.66
	Liberal	Margaret MacDiarmid	4,779	40.64
	Green	Jane Sterk	856	7.28	–
	Conservative	Wilf Hanni	483	4.11
	Marijuana	Jodie Emery	155	1.32

2009 British Columbia general election: Vancouver-Fairview
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	Expenditures
	Liberal	Margaret MacDiarmid	11,034	47.09	$144,364
	New Democratic	Jenn McGinn	9,881	42.17	$106,859
	Green	Vanessa Violini	2,232	9.52	$749
	Independent	Graham Clark	165	0.70	$250
	Reform	Norris Matthew Barens	85	0.36	$250
	Refederation	Alex Frei	37	0.16	$260
Total valid votes			23,434	100.00
Total rejected ballots			152	0.64
Turnout			23,586	56.50
Registered voters			41,748
Source: Elections BC

External links

• Jenn McGinn